Piastri blitzes field again for Spa Sprint pole

Oscar Piastri dominated Sprint qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix to take pole ahead of Max Verstappen.

With just eight minutes allocated for SQ3, the fight for pole boiled down to a single-lap shootout around the super-long 4.4-mile circuit.

Piastri’s supremacy only briefly looked in doubt in SQ2, when he had his best time deleted for exceeding track limits at Raidillon and dropped precipitously to 10th at the end of the segment, escaping an early elimination by just 0.041s. But once through to the final eight-minute pole-setting segment, the title leader obliterated the field.

His car loaded up with downforce, the Australian was only fifth quickest in the straight-dominated first sector, but he blitzed the middle split and was fastest even in the power-sensitive final sector to set the benchmark at 1m40.510s. It sent him straight to the top of the time sheet, shooting 0.618s past McLaren teammate Lando Norris and 0.477s ahead of Red Bull's Verstappen, his closest challenger.

“That was a good lap,” he said. “The car’s been mega all day. I feel like I’ve been able to put in a lot of good laps.

“Thanks to the team. The car’s been great. This is a track I love – it’s my favorite one of the year. Maybe that gave me a couple of extra tenths.

“The car has been in a good window from lap 1. Again, it’s a track I always enjoy coming to. I don’t know why, but I think I’ve had good confidence.”

Verstappen will be counting on straight-line speed at Spa. Andy Hone/Getty Images

Even so, Piastri was more cautious about forecasting a Sprint victory from first on the grid.

“The Red Bulls are very quick in a straight line,” he said. “That makes life difficult, and Spa is probably the worst track to have pole position at. But I think the pace in the car is really strong. I felt good today, so hopefully we can have a good day tomorrow.”

Almost all Verstappen’s deficit to Piastri is accounted for in the middle sector, where he was almost half a second off the pace in a Red Bull Racing car trimmed for top speed that be a significant advantage on the long run out of the first turn in the race.

Norris had looked a step behind Piastri all the way to the end of qualifying, but his 0.618s margin was more considerable than practice had predicted. His deficit was spread around the lap but most concentrated in the middle sector.

Charles Leclerc led the way for Ferrari in fourth but was 0.768s off the pace in his upgraded SF-25.

Esteban Ocon was a superb fifth for Haas, the Frenchman 1.055s off the pace but ending qualifying with the fastest first sector.

Carlos Sainz was sixth for Williams a further 0.2s adrift, separating Ocon from Haas teammate Oliver Bearman in seventh.

Pierre Gasly was eighth for Alpine, prevailing in a tight battle with Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar by just 0.012s, the pair both 1.5s off the pace.

Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10 for Sauber at 1.67s off pole.

Liam Lawson will line up 11th for the Sprint ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, who was 0.601s slower than teammate Verstappen in SQ2.

George Russell was unexpectedly knocked out in 13th after ferocious track evolution dropped him eight places after the checkered flag as several midfield drivers found improved grip late. The Briton was 0.2s short of a spot in the top 10.

Aston Martin teammates Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will line up 14th and 15th ahead of Williams driver Alex Albon and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.

Lewis Hamilton was a shock elimination in 18th after a spin at the final chicane on his final flying lap. The Briton, who claimed a Sprint pole and victory in China earlier this season, suffered a sudden locking of his rear axle on the brakes, sending him suddenly spinning into the run-off zone. Having already lost his first lap dipping into the gravel at Stavelot, it left Hamilton without a representative time for the session.

Franco Colapinto qualified 19th for Alpine ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, pole-getter at the previous Sprint in Miami. Antonelli spun his Mercedes into the gravel at Stavelot with his first lap and complained of a lack of grip during his final attempt that left him at the back of the pack, compounding a difficult day for the German marque.

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